Q.Describe the flight modifications seen in birds.
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →[!ANSWER] Nearly every organ system of a flying bird shows some modification serving the single overriding demand of flight.
Skeletally, many bones are pneumatic — hollow and air-filled, internally braced with thin bony struts — which substantially reduces overall body weight without sacrificing structural strength. The sternum (breastbone) is greatly enlarged and bears a prominent keel, a ridge that provides the large surface area needed to anchor the massive pectoral (flight) muscles. Several vertebrae, especially toward the tail, are fused into a single rigid structure, the pygostyle, which supports the tail feathers and adds overall rigidity to the flying body; the forelimbs themselves are modified into wings. …
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